The All Blacks have rediscovered their DNA under Dave Rennie, according to legendary winger Jeff Wilson.<\/p>\n
The former outside back believes that for the past decade or so, New Zealand have tried to beat opposition teams at their \u2018superpowers\u2019 instead of focusing on their strengths.<\/p>\n
After reflecting on the weekend\u2019s NPC action on Sky Sports NZ\u2019s Breakdown show, Wilson noted the pace of the matches in New Zealand and believes that the All Blacks did the same during the Nations Championship matches against France, Italy and Ireland.<\/p>\n
All Blacks rediscover their DNA under Dave Rennie<\/p>\n
Since taking over from Scott Robertson as head coach, Rennie has spoken a lot about the pace and tempo that the team wants to play at, and Wilson believes that, plus the skill and conditioning aspects, is where the All Blacks<\/a> have had the edge over the opposition in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got back to who we are. Dave Rennie has talked about the DNA. For me, what we\u2019ve maybe done for a number of years, probably the last 10 years, we\u2019ve tried to beat other countries at what they\u2019re good at, at what they\u2019re great at \u2013 their superpowers,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, we\u2019ve tried to dominate the South Africans<\/a> physically. We\u2019ve then tried to out-flair France, out-structure Ireland. We\u2019re not going to beat them at their superpowers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to be great at what we\u2019ve done so well in the past. That is speed, that is conditioning, that is skill and putting the opposition under pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cMaking sure that we go out and say, \u2018You try and stop us rather than us focusing on stopping you\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n All Blacks: Dave Rennie on \u2018phenomenal\u2019 Rassie Erasmus, \u2018time out\u2019 Ardie Savea and why Greatest Rivalry is \u2018completely different to a World Cup\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think you are right,\u201d former All Blacks full-back Mils Muliaina said in response.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve gone out there and tried to emulate what other teams have done and beat them at the high ball and not being smart about our game first.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s probably what Rennie has done. He\u2019s bought back, what are we all about? We go out there, and we can still do that. We can still dominate the South Africans and dominate them physically, but we\u2019ve got to do it in a different way, in a smarter way.\u201d<\/p>\n All Blacks legend\u2019s one \u2018dissapointment\u2019 from Richie Mo\u2019unga\u2019s return: \u2018He\u2019s a great insurance\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n With the All Blacks primed for four Tests against the Springboks during the Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry Series, Wilson<\/a> thinks that the side doesn\u2019t need to dominate the Springboks but instead just needs to get parity in key areas.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Parity needed against the Springboks<\/p>\n If they are able to do that, then they can impose their strengths on Rassie Erasmus\u2019 charges.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we get parity, that\u2019s all we need \u2013 when I look at that,\u201d he said.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe go in with the mindset of trying to dominate, but if you get parity, that\u2019ll be enough with the other skills we have.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Blues and All Blacks hooker James Parsons agreed, saying: \u201cAbsolutely and you just look at the improvement of set piece even though we\u2019ve sped it up, it\u2019s because the opposition\u2019s tired, so actually set piece has got easier in the sense that you\u2019re not having that big competition at lineout time you\u2019re not having that big competition at scrum time because of the fatigue and the way that and that attitude of wanting to play.\u201d<\/p>\n